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Surah Yunus, verse 19: meaning and tafsir
وَمَا كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ إِلَّآ أُمَّةً وَٰحِدَةً فَٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِىَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ١٩
The whole of mankind was but a single community, then they differed[21]. If it had not been for a prior decree from your Lord, a decisive judgment would have been passed between them concerning their differences[22].
Translation of the meanings: Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19 · QuranEnc.com
[21] Ibn ‘Abbās (رضى الله عنهما) reported: “The time between Adam and Noah was ten centuries. Throughout these, people were on the right path of Allah, but then they started disputing [over matters of Faith, i.e., idol worshiping]. So, Allah sent prophets bearing glad tiding and warning”. [Al-Hākim, Al-Mustadrak: 2:546, cf. Al-Tabarī]
[22] i.e., not to punish anyone before evidence has come to him, or not to judge between them in this life.
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Al-Mukhtasar: Abridged Explanation of the Quran
Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies · QuranEnc.com
19. People were just one believing, unified nation, then they differed: some of them still had faith, while others disbelieved. If it had not been for the decree of Allah that He would not judge between them in what they differed about, then it would have been made clear which of them were guided and which of them were astray.
Quran text: Tanzil Project (Tanzil Quran Text, Uthmani v1.1, CC BY 3.0). The translation and tafsir are quoted word for word, unchanged, from the Noble Quran Encyclopedia, QuranEnc.com, each credited to its source. Details on our sources page. These texts are quoted exactly as published; no answer is written by AI. Quran Chat does not issue fatwas.